Ice tray grid



y 1954'} I L. HALL OCK I 2,683,358

ICE TRAY 'GRID File d Feb. 26, 1949 INVEN TOR. #225271. 6244 aa/r Patented July 13, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Robert Lay Hallock, Larchmont, N. Y.

Application February 26, 1949, Serial No. 78,579

3 Claims.

My invention relates to ice trays and grids of the resilient Wall type, and more particularly those with grid walls that are individually flexed to release ice pieces.

The objects of the invention are to provide a simple tray and grid structure that is easily and quickly removable from the freezer and from which ice pieces in any desired number are quickly and easily removed from the tray.

The invention is characterized by a unitary grid structure with a center wall intersecting a series of cross walls that are resilient and provided with finger tabs, and leverage so arranged as to loosen an ice block from a tray while loosening the tray from a freezer shelf without engaging the latter.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a top plan view of an ice tray and grid embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation with the tray and cross walls of the grid in vertical section;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the ice tray and grid looking toward the front end;

Fig. 4 is a front end elevation with the grid raised with respect to the tray; and

Fig. 5 is a partial front elevation showing the leverage at the start of its grid raising and tray releasing operation.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, an ice tray ii) contains a removable grid molded from a suitable plastic such as Tenite. center wall 1 i intersecting a series of cross walls I2. The latter may be at right angles to the center wall H, or opposite halves of each cross wall 12 may be angled slightly toward one end of the grid as illustrated. The grid walls may be the full depth of the tray H3 or less than the depth of the tray leaving a space it below the grid in the bottom of the tray as seen in Figs. 2 and 3.

The cross walls I2 are seen in elevation in Fig. 3. At the outer top edges of the cross walls ii! are portions I4 which project upward and outward and rest on the upper edge of the tray Ill when the grid is located therein. The cross walls l2 taper downward as seen in Fig. 2. They also taper outward from the center wall l l as seen in Fig. l. The center wall l I has a slight downward taper as seen in Fig. 3.

At one end of the center wall i I there is a portion :5 which projects upward and outward over the top edge of the tray Ill. The portion 15 is enlarged and the part it overlying the top edge The grid has a vertical of the tray in is cylindrical. A lever H is pivoted on the grid projection part I6. The axis of this pivot is generally perpendicular to the plane of the adjacent side wall of the tray ill. The lever il comprises a cam portion l8 and a handle portion I9. The handle [9 outweighs the cam portion l8 so that the lever I'I hangs in the position illustrated in Fig. 2 when the grid is placed in the tray.

The tray tab is formed of a resilient material that may be either a resilient plastic or a resilient metal. The material forming the cross walls i2 01 the grid should have such resiliency that a force exerted on the finger portions HI results in stress extending substantially to the center wall II. The lever I! may be of metal or molded of plastic material. 7

The tray I0 with its grid in place is filled with water and placed'on a freezer shelf. The space I3 below the grid permits easy filling of the tray with the grid in place. The lever Ii hangs at the front end of the tray with its handle it down ward. The water in the tray freezes into a block of ice in which the grid is embedded.

When pieces of ice are wanted, the lever handle [9 is turned in either direction. As seen in Fig. 5, it is turned counterclockwise. As the lever ll is turned by its handle IS, the cam portion I8 is brought into engagement with the top edge of the tray Ill. The axis of the pivot It for the lever I1 is perpendicular to the plane of the front wall of the tray Iii so that this wall takes the force exerted by the lever in its plane and thus is not merely deformed in or out when the lever is operated. Further turning of the lever l! causes two things to occur. The tray it is loosened from the freezer shelf, and the block of ice with the grid embedded therein is released from the tray. These two things occur simultaneously as nearly as can be detected' The lever H of course exerts a separating force between the tray and grid so release of the ice block is readily understood. But the lever I? does not engage the freezer or any other fulcrum. It will be seen in Fig. 5 that the force in the direction of the arrow on handle 19 exerts a turning moment on the front end of the tray. The tray is rigid while the ice block is frozen fast therein, and it is believed that the tray release occurs at the time the ice block releases at the front end of the tray because immediately the ice block releases, the resilient tray walls can flex under the turning moment exerted by the lever i7. This slight twisting of the tray Iil causes it to peel from the freezer shelf to Which it may be frozen.

The ice block with embedded grid may be removed from the tray or left in the tray as desired. Ice pieces are released one by one or two by two if both hands are used. Half of the cross wall l2 next the front end of the tray is fiexed forward by pressure exerted on the finger portion 14. The latter is preferably formed as shown to provide a tab to be engaged by the index finger, and a lower ridge against which the thumb can be placed, or vice versa. It is preferable to release ice pieces progressively from the front to the rear on each side of the center wall H. It has been found that the release of individual pieces is slightly easier with the angled cross walls than with perpendicular cross walls, but the operation is the same in either case.

It has been found that the grid Walls need not go to the bottom of the tray ID. This leaves solid ice below the bottom of the grid which is cleft cleanly in the planes of the grid walls as individual ice pieces are broken off. The portions [4 at the top of the cross walls I2 are fashioned as illustrated so that another tray can be stacked on top of this grid. The tray bottom rests on the thumb stop portions and is prevented from sliding sidewise by the index finger tabs on the portions 14.

It has been found preferable to have a thickened portion or similar stiffening at the top edges of the cross walls from the outer corners inward toward the center wall to transmit stress from flexing force on the finger portion l4 well toward the center Wall.

Various changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the invention as set forth intersecting a series of resilient cross walls each with portions projecting upward and outward at their top edges by which the grid is suspended in the tray from its top edges with the bottom edges of the grid spaced from the bottom of the tray and which projecting portions form finger holds to flex the cross walls to release ice therefrom.

2. An ice tray grid having a center wall intersecting a series of resilient cross walls formed integrally with said center wall and accessible for individual flexing to release ice pieces with the parts of each cross wall on opposite sides of the center wall angled from perpendicular to the center wall and to each other.

3. For use in an ice tray, a grid comprising a unitary one piece structure molded of a plastic to a vertically rigid form with a center wall interseoting a series of horizontally resilient cross walls, the center wall having a projection at one end to receive a lever for reaction with the tray, and the cross walls each having projections above the top of the tray to form finger holds for flexing the cross Walls to rel-ease ice pieces.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,893,535 Buchanan Jan. 10, 1933 2,067,074 Chilton Jan. 5, 1937 2,145,719 Geyer Jan. 31, 1939 2,162,363 Stripe June 13, 1939 2,196,331 Buchanan Apr. 9, 1940 2,240,004 Martin et a1. Apr. 29, 1941 2,253,126 Keiper Aug. 19, 1941 2,291,437 Anderson July 28, 1942 2,303,636 Haugh et a1 Dec. 1, 1942 2,351,742 Shoemaker June 20, 1944 2,435,802 Smith Feb. 10, 1948 2,495,506 Buchanan Jan. 24, 1950 2,551,411 Bauer May 1, 1951 

